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October is the Month to Love Spinach!

Elder Care in Greece, NY – A Diet Rich in Vegetables like Spinach is Vital to Senior Health

In October, try to eat more spinach. Not only is it a leafy green that your senior parent should have more of, but it’s delicious! Here are some ways you can enjoy spinach, and some facts you might not know about it. Start cooking more with spinach in your senior’s meals to add both flavor and nutrition.

8 Cool Facts about Spinach

Choose the tender, baby leaves over larger mature leaves. The bigger ones are tougher or can be stringy.

Cooking the spinach actually increases the benefits for your health! When cooked, half a cup of spinach has three times the nutrients as a full cup of raw leaves.

The healthiest way to eat spinach is actually in a juice, or blended in with your smoothie fruits.

Spinach contains oxalic acid which partially blocks your body’s ability to absorb calcium and iron. Make sure you eat foods high in vitamin C along with spinach to combat this. Boiling also reduces the oxalic acid.

Always buy spinach fresh and eat it during the same day if you can. Freezing it loses some of the nutrients.

Spinach leaves tend to be sprayed with a lot of pesticides, so buy organic when possible.

Even though spinach is good for your eyes and bones, it’s also a digestion aid.

The vitamins and minerals in spinach is great for skin care and complexion.

Easy Sautéed Spinach

1 (10 ounce) bag spinach

1 tablespoon olive oil

1½ teaspoons garlic salt

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Put in the spinach and cover, cooking for 5 minutes. Then stir in the garlic salt and cover another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with cheese and serve!

Cheesy Spinach Quiche

1 premade pie crust or any homemade recipe

1 (10 ounce) bag spinach

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

4 large eggs

1 cup milk

1/3 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or mozzarella)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rinse the spinach, and turn a skillet on to medium heat. Put in the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper. Cook about 6 minutes, until no water is left in the bottom of the skillet.

Prebake the crust (if it needs it) for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, you can whisk together eggs, milk and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Remove the crust and spread the spinach over the bottom of it. Then add in order: the cooked mushrooms, shredded cheese, and egg mixture. If you want to, you can add a little more parmesan cheese on top.

Bake until golden brown on top and doesn’t jiggle in the middle. This can take from 45 minutes to an hour depending on your oven. Let it cool 5 minutes before servicing. Slice into pie sized pieces. It can be stored in the fridge for up to four days for eating as leftovers.

Elderly home care can help your parent plan and cook healthy meals each day.

If you have a loved one who could benefit from the help of elder care in Greece, NY contact the caregivers at Caring Hearts of Rochester, LLC. We help seniors and their families with many levels of home care service. Call (585) 245-0134 for more information.

Many Senior In-Home Care services and products are not covered by insurance, Medicare, Medicaid or public assistance. Most individuals and families often need to pay "out-of-pocket" for some or all services requested. Are there other sources of financing available to you, such as Social Security benefits, VA benefits, or Private Funds?*